Chinese envoy calls for 'balanced approach' to Ukraine crisis

UNITED NATIONS - The question of Ukraine involves the interests and concerns of various parties, a Chinese envoy said Thursday, calling for a balanced approach to address the issue.

"China has been paying heightened attention to the development of the situation in Ukraine. Lately, the spillover effect of the Ukraine crisis has become very obvious," said Liu Jieyi, China's permanent representative to the UN, ahead of a vote at the UN General Assembly on a draft resolution concerning Ukraine.

"All parties should exercise restraint and refrain from exacerbating the situation and continue the efforts to iron out their differences through political, diplomatic means and to solve the question of Ukraine within the framework of law and order," he said, adding that China has been calling on the international community to make constructive efforts and through good offices to ease the situation in Ukraine.

Ukraine crisis

"We believe, the actions taken by the United Nations on the question of Ukraine should reflect the consensus by all parties and should be conducive to the relaxation of tension and to the achievement of a political settlement of the crisis," he said, adding that China supports the mediation efforts by the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

"In the context of the ongoing diplomatic mediation efforts by the parties concerned, an attempt to push ahead with the UNGA vote on the draft resolution on the question of Ukraine will only further complicate the situation," he said. "China has always opposed to the intervention of the internal affairs of other countries and has always respected independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries."

Liu reiterated an initiative on three-point principles to the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis launched by China. " China calls for an early establishment and functioning of an international coordination mechanism with the participation of all the parties concerned to explore and examine the ideas and concept of proposals of a political settlement," he said.

"The most pressing business now is to identify these ideas, concepts and proposals so as to avoid further escalation of tension," he said. Liu stressed that China will continue to do its utmost to promote the maintenance of peace and negotiation and play a constructive role in achieving the political solution of the Ukraine crisis.

The UN General Assembly adopted the resolution on Thursday with 100 votes in favor, 11 votes against and 58 abstentions. The resolution underscores that the referendum held in Crimea on March 16 "having on validity" and calls on all states and international organizations not to recognize the alteration of status of Crimea.

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